System for saving energy in operating heating, ventilating and air conditioning

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses a system for saving energy in a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. The system includes a plurality of fan units installed in one or more openings in the walls separating the rooms in a building. One or more temperature sensors are located in each of the rooms and the fan units are controlled by a control unit receiving inputs from the sensors or components of the building climate control system. The control unit monitors the temperature of the rooms, and controls the operation of the fan units such that air is moved from one room to another room to maintain a temperature difference between the rooms.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a system for saving energy in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Generally, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems used in most residential buildings are forced air systems. Such systems use delivery and return ductwork with air outlets and inlets fixed in the rooms of the building. Other types of systems use pumped cold/hot water with radiative heat exchange. Common features of these systems include the fixed location of the system and the arrangements for circulation of air. Once installed, the delivery path of warm or cold air to the rooms and the return path of air to the system are also fixed.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,374,725 discloses a system provided with dampers individually controlled by the controller, turning climate control equipment on and off to obtain a desired climatic condition between the rooms. U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,478 discloses an apparatus for distributing air between rooms by mounting an electric fan at a doorway, actuated in response to sensed temperature, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,002 discloses air conditioning devices that control the amount and direction of blow off of conditioned air during room heating or cooling.

In an ideal system, if hot air is delivered, the return is preferably cool air, for maximum efficiency. But, this is impossible in the forced air system, where both warm and cool air are mixed through forced circulation and then returned. This results in the formation of hot and cold spots within a room or throughout the rooms in a building.

Further, existing automatic climate control systems consider the average temperature value of the sensed inputs from sensors in the room. The condition of opting for an average temperature value will force the system to blow more air than required to maintain temperature, thereby leading to higher energy consumption and creation of hot and cold spots in the room.

Other existing devices and methods have shortcomings such as high energy consumption and complex construction. The invention addresses some of the drawbacks of conventional systems and methods, and satisfies the need for a system that can be used without complex or expensive features, with further related advantages as set forth here.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An energy-minimizing addition to a building climate control system is disclosed. The system comprises one or more fan units wherein each fan unit is installed in an opening in the wall separating two rooms of the building, each fan unit further comprising an electric motor. The system further comprises at least one sensor located in the rooms and a control unit that receives inputs from the one or more sensors or a building climate control system. The control unit is configured to control operation of at least one fan unit such that air is moved from one room to another room to maintain a temperature difference between the rooms. In one embodiment the control unit comprises control circuitry to receive inputs from the sensors or the building climate control system and control operation of the fan units.

In one embodiment the control unit further includes a processor, memory, display, and communication hardware. The processor is configured to receive inputs from the sensor and transmit instructions to control the fan units based on the sensor inputs according to programmed instructions. In various embodiments each sensor of the system is selected from a group comprising temperature sensor, flow sensor, pressure sensor, and humidity sensor.

In various embodiments the fan units are configured to be controlled by instructions received via a manual input or a programmed input from the control unit, such that the received instructions may modify the operating conditions of the fan units.

In some embodiments the building climate control system further comprises at least one temperature control panel in one or more rooms in the building, the temperature control panel is configured to accept a target temperature input for a room and measure the temperature of the room, and the control unit is in communication with the one or more temperature control panels. The communication may be wired or wireless communication.

In some embodiments the control unit is configured on a computing device such as a laptop, a wearable computer, an embedded computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smart phone or a tablet. In various embodiments the control unit receives temperature inputs via wired or wireless communication.

In some embodiments the control unit is configured to receive a temperature mode that the building climate control system is operating in and the control unit determines whether the building climate control system is in heating or cooling mode. Depending upon the mode, the control unit controls the operation of the one or more fan units.

In some embodiments the control unit is configued to receive target temperature values from one or more temperature control panels and the control unit controls the operation of the one or more fan units based on the difference in the target temperature values received from the one or more temperature control panels. In one embodiment the control unit may additionally control the direction of rotation of the fan.

In one embodiment the system may comprise a plurality of spaced apart openings on a wall separating two rooms, such that a fan unit is mounted within each opening, and the rotation of alternate fan units is in opposite directions. In one embodiment the temperature difference between the two rooms is zero.

In one embodiment the opening in the wall is configured to minimize the leakage of light or the transmission of sound from one room to the other. In one embodiment the system comprises an opening between inside and outside of the building with one or more fan units installed that can move air between the inside and outside of the building to regulate the temperature of a room.

In one embodiment a kit for minimizing energy consumption to achieve temperature control within a building is disclosed. The kit comprises one or more fan units fitted with motors operable using communication devices and installable in an opening in the wall between rooms of a building. One or more temperature or humidity sensors affixed with communication devices are provided with the kit. A non-transitory machine-readable medium is provided, carrying one or more sequences of instructions. The instructions are configured to provide a user interface to receive user inputs to set temperature or humidity values, receive temperature or humidity data from the one or more temperature or humidity sensors, and send switching instructions to the one or more fan units to control their operation. Operation of the fan units is controlled in response to the set temperature and the sensed temperature or humidity so as to eliminate hot or cold spots within the rooms by circulating air from one room to another. The instructions carried in the kit may be executable in a computing device such as a wearable computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smart phone or a tablet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention has other advantages and features which will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematics of the system for saving energy in HVAC in various embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a system implementing energy savings.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a system implementing energy savings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

While the invention has been disclosed with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt to a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope.

Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. Additionally, a reference to the singular includes a reference to the plural unless otherwise stated or inconsistent with the disclosure herein.

The proposed energy-minimizing system for temperature control is further described with reference to the figures. The system in its various embodiments could be an addition to an existing heating or cooling system for temperature control by moving air from one room or compartment to another. A building may contain multiple rooms separated by walls and the HVAC system is designed to maintain desired temperatures in the various rooms. The walls may contain openings to accommodate fans. The fans move air from one room to another. In one embodiment the energy minimizing system 100 shown in FIG. 1A, includes a number of fan units 101-1, 101-2 . . . 101-N, hereinafter referred to as the fan units 101 installed in one or more openings in the walls separating the rooms in a building, configured to move air from one room to another room. One or more sensors 102-1, 102-2 . . . 102-N, hereinafter referred to as the sensors 102 located in each of the rooms are in communication with a control unit 120. The control unit 120 receives inputs from the sensors 102. In one embodiment the control unit 120 is further configured to receive inputs from a building climate control system 130. Control unit 120 is configured to send operating instructions to each of the fan units 101 based on the inputs received from the sensors 102 or building climate control systems 130. Fan units 101 may comprise one or more fans driven by electric motors. In one embodiment the building climate control system 130 may comprise multiple handheld temperature control panels 135-1 . . . to 135-N as shown in FIG. 1A, hereinafter referred to as handheld units 135.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, control unit 120 comprises control circuitry with discrete components driving power electronics. Control unit 120 is configured to receive inputs from sensors 102 or the building climate control system 130 and control operation of the fan units 101. In one embodiment the control circuitry controls operation of the fan units 101 by comparing temperature inputs received from the sensors 102 with input values received from the climate control system 130 so as to maintain required temperature within each of the rooms where the fan units 101 are located. In one embodiment the fan units 101, the sensors 102, the control unit 120 and the building climate control system 130 are in communication via wired connections.

In another embodiment the energy minimizing system 200 shown in FIG. 1B includes a number of fan units 201-1, 201-2 . . . 201-N, hereinafter referred to as the fan units 201, installed on the wall separating rooms in a building. Sensors 202-1, 202-2 . . . 202-N, hereinafter referred to as sensors 202. The sensors 202 located in each of the rooms are in communication with a control unit 220 that receives inputs from the sensors 202. Control unit 220 may include additional electronics including processor 221, memory 222 and a display 223 and is in communication with building climate control 230. Processor 221 may be configured to send programmed instructions to the control unit 220 to control operation of fan units 201 so as to maintain temperature within the building. Such program instructions may be stored in memory 222. In various embodiments, the processor 221 and memory 222 may be part of control unit 120 or may be part of a separate device that is used with the control unit 220 when required.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, system 200 further comprises communication hardware 225 for receiving inputs from the sensors 202 and transmitting instructions to the fan units 201. In one embodiment fan units 201 are affixed with communication devices 205-1, 205-2 . . . 205-N, hereinafter referred to as communication devices 205 and the sensors 202 are affixed with communication devices 206-1, 206-2 . . . 206-N, hereinafter referred to as communication devices 206. In one embodiment, the building climate control system 230 may further comprise a communication device 207 and handheld temperature control panels 235-1, 235-2 . . . 235-N, hereinafter referred to as handheld units 235. In one embodiment, the control unit 220 is configured to receive instructions wirelessly from building climate control system 230 and sensors 202 so as to perform control operation of fan units 201 via wireless connectivity. In various embodiments, control unit 220 may control the fans in fan unit 201 either in response to manual input received via climate control system 230 or programmed input that is either stored or generated in the control unit 220.

In various embodiments the processor 221 may be any type of general-purpose microprocessor or microcontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, an integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a reconfigurable processor, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), or any combination thereof. In various embodiments with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B the sensors 102 or 202 may be configured to be temperature sensors, flow sensors, pressure sensors, or humidity sensors, as would be part of a climate control system.

The control unit 220 in various embodiments may be configured on a laptop, a wearable computer, an embedded computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smart phone or a tablet. In one embodiment, the energy minimizing system 100 or 200 comprises one or more control units 120 or 220 in one or more rooms in the building. The control unit 120 is configured to control the operating condition of fan units 101 using information such as a temperature set point for the room and sensed temperature at the location. Control unit 120 in various embodiments may receive temperature inputs via wired or wireless communication via communication device 125.

Each of the handheld units 135 or 235 in FIGS. 1A and 1B is configured to accept a target temperature input for a room and a sensor (not shown) to measure the temperature of the room, and communicated to control unit 120 or 220 via building climate control system 130 or 230, respectively.

In various embodiments, communication hardware (FIGS. 1B) 205, 206, 207 and 225 can either be wired or wireless communication devices configured to operate on a wireless communication protocol such as Wi-Fi™, infrared, Bluetooth® or ZigBee®.

In operation, the processor 221 is configured to monitor the temperature of the rooms based on inputs from the sensors 202 or the building climate control system 230, and control the operation of the fan units 201 such that air is moved from one room to another room to maintain a temperature difference between the rooms. The maintenance of a temperature difference may be in response to separate control inputs received via the one or more handheld units 235 located in different rooms. In one embodiment, the operation of the frill units 101 or 201 is controlled to maintain the same temperature in the rooms.

In some embodiments, the system 100 or 200 is configured to operate in the installed rooms solely on measured temperature inputs received from the building climate control system 130 or 230. In these embodiments, system 100 or 200 is envisaged to assist the operation of the HVAC system in achieving more uniform temperatures. For example, in various embodiments, the placement of fan units 101 or 201 may be such that cross-flow or mixing of air streams is provided, to eliminate hot or cold spots in the rooms by complementing or augmenting air circulation in an energy-efficient manner. In various embodiments, the operation of the fan units 101 or 201 may be controlled to switch ON or OFF based on temperature values sensed by the building climate control system 130 or 230. In an alternative or additional embodiment, the system 100 or 200 may be programmed to provide air circulation periodically without reference to sensed temperature.

In various embodiments, the operation and control of the fan units 101 or 201 depends on the mode of operation, i.e. whether the building climate control system 100 or 200 is set to cool the building or to heat the building. Further in one embodiment, direction of rotation of the fan units 101 or 201 depends on the temperature settings on the handheld units 135 or 235 in the rooms separated by the wall that the fan unit 101 is mounted on. In one embodiment, fan unit 101 comprises two fans that are mounted within openings of a wall separating two rooms, wherein the openings are spaced apart and the directions of rotation of the fans are opposite to one another such that one fan is blowing air out of the room while the other fan is blowing air into the room. In one embodiment the fans 101 are installed in a plurality of openings within the walls separating two rooms, and the direction of rotation of the fans is alternately reversed.

In various embodiments, the system 100 or 200 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) installed in the opening between walls of rooms in a building as described above is configured to minimize light leakage from one room to another via the flow path, either using dark colored surfaces or by avoiding line of sight or both. In some embodiments, the system 100 or 200 is configured to reduce sound propagation through the flow path, as for example, by using sound absorbing materials through the air flow passage or using a convoluted flow path or both.

In one embodiment of the system 100 or 200 the fan units 101 or 201 may be set in one or more openings between walls of rooms that are climate controlled. Alternatively, such fan units 101 or 201 may be set on a wall that opens to a space within the building that is not climate controlled. In some embodiments, the system 100 or 200 may further include an opening in contact with air outside the building affixed with fan units 101-1 or 201-1, for example. Fan unit 101 or 201 may, if required, blow fresh air into the interior of the rooms, or alternatively, exhaust air from the interior of the rooms, on receiving a suitable input at the control unit 120 or 220. In these embodiments, the fan unit 101-1 or 201-1 is affixed on the exterior wall could be operated based either on user preference for fresh air or exhaust, or in response to a temperature control signal received from control unit 120 based on sensor inputs received from various locations within the rooms as well as the exterior of the building.

In addition to the use of temperature sensors to maintain set temperature in the rooms to which the system 100 or 200 is installed, in some embodiments, the fan units 101 or 201 could be set to operate, for example, when the humidity is above or below threshold values, as measured by humidity sensors located at 102 or 202. The fan units 101 or 201 may be set to reduce or to increase humidity as instructed by control unit 120 or 220 for a desired level of comfort. In one embodiment, sensors 102 or 202 could be configured to be flow sensors, so that they may detect airflow at various locations within the rooms to prevent hot or cold spots.

The system described herein can be implemented in various ways, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In one embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 2, system 300 for saving energy in an HVAC system has fan unit 301 installed at the opening between wall W of adjoining rooms R1 and R2 with temperature sensors 302-1 . . . 302-N and handheld units 303-1 . . . 303-N communicating with control unit 320. As shown in FIG. 2, the fan unit 301 may be affixed along the wall W dividing rooms R1 and R2 and air can be moved across the rooms via fan unit 301 until the required temperature distribution is achieved, the fan unit 301 shutting off thereafter, in response to control unit 320.

In another embodiment of the system 400 shown in FIG. 3, fan unit 401 can be configured to move air from rooms R1 and R2, with control unit 420 providing control inputs to fan unit 401 in response to inputs from temperature sensors 402-1, 402-2 . . . 402-N and handheld units 403-1 . . . 403-N. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, an opening between the interior and exterior of the building is provided so fan unit 401 may, in addition to drawing upon air within the rooms, take in outside air. In another embodiment, the fan unit 401 may exhaust air from the building to the exterior.

Fan unit 401 is configured to shut OFF once the control unit 420 detects that the set temperature in rooms R1 and R2 is achieved. This results in additional energy savings from not running the fans constantly.

In one embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 2, the system 300 is constructed in two halves including a sealing flange, bolted together to fix onto the opposite sides of the wall.

In some embodiments, the system as envisaged with reference to FIGS. 1-3 is sold as a kit or package unit installable by a user with minimal professional help or equipment. The kit may comprise one or more fan units, and one or more sensors for temperature or humidity, and an installable software product on suitable nonvolatile media. The fan units and the sensors are affixed with communication devices connectable to a control unit including a processor, such as a laptop computer, an embedded computer, a wearable computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smart phone or a tablet. The software product, when installed on the computing device, could provide a control interface for receiving a set temperature or humidity input from a user, and receive inputs from the one or more temperature or humidity sensors. The software also carries instructions for storage of control programming and instructions to cause the control unit to control the operation of the one or more fan units with reference to the set values by the user and in response to the temperature and humidity values received from the one or more sensors. In some embodiments the software product may be installable in a system running the Android, iOS Linux and its variants, Windows® or other environment used in the control device.

While the embodiments discussed with reference to the figures are indicative, any number of fan units and sensors could be set up across adjacent rooms to potentially realize the objectives envisaged by the system of the invention, including the elimination of hot or cold spots in the rooms. The wireless connectivity envisaged in some embodiments provides sufficient flexibility to implement a complex system where several fan units could be controlled to effectively reduce energy requirements for heating or cooling.

The system in various embodiments may be implemented as an independent system or it could be retrofitted to an existing HVAC system between the adjoining rooms in the building. In various embodiments, depending upon the operating mode set in the control unit of the system, air is moved from one room to the other until the air temperature is equal on both sides of the unit i.e. in heat mode air is moved from the warmer room to the cooler room, or take in outside air to heat or cool both the rooms, before shutting off the fan unit. The system saves energy in residential or commercial buildings by redistributing cool or warm air between the rooms in the building and could minimize load on existing HVAC systems through energy-efficient means.

While the invention has been disclosed with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt to a particular situation or material the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. 

1.-17. (canceled)
 18. A system comprising: one or nore fan units wherein each fan unit is installed in an opening in the wall separating two rooms of the building, each fan unit further comprising an electric motor; at least one sensor located in the rooms; and a control unit that receives inputs from the sensor or a building climate control system, wherein the control unit is configured to control operation of at least one fan unit such that air is moved from one room to another room to maintain a temperature difference between the rooms.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control unit comprises control circuitry to receive inputs from the sensors or the building climate control system and control operation of the fan units.
 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the control unit further includes a processor, memory, display, and communication hardware, and wherein the processor is configured to receive inputs from the sensor and transmit instructions to control the fan units based on the sensor inputs according to programmed instructions.
 21. The system of claim 18, wherein each sensor is selected from a group comprising temperature sensor, flow sensor, pressure sensor, and humidity sensor.
 22. The system of claim 19, wherein the fan units are configured to be controlled by instructions received via a manual input or a programmed input, and wherein the instructions modify the operating conditions of the fans.
 23. The system of claim 20, wherein the fan units are configured to be controlled by instructions received via a manual input or a programmed input, and wherein the instructions modify the operating conditions of the fans.
 24. The system of claim 18, wherein (a) the building climate control system further comprises at least one temperature control panel in one or more rooms in the building, (b) the temperature control panel is configured to accept a target temperature input for a room and measure the temperature of the room, and (c) the control unit is in communication with the one or more temperature control panels.
 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the control unit is configured on a computing device such as a laptop, a wearable computer, an embedded computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smart phone or a tablet.
 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the control unit receives temperature inputs via wired or wireless communication.
 27. The system of claim 26, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the temperature mode that the building climate control system is operating in and the control unit controls the operation of the one or more fan units based on whether the building climate control system is in heating or cooling mode.
 28. The system of claim 26, wherein the control unit is configured to receive target temperature values from one or more temperature control panels and the control unit controls the operation of the one or more fan units based on the difference in the target temperature values.
 29. The system of claim 18, wherein the control unit controls the direction of rotation of the fan units.
 30. The system of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings on a wall separating the two rooms, wherein a fan unit is mounted within each opening, and the rotation of alternate fan units is in opposite directions.
 31. The system of claim 18 wherein the temperature difference between the two rooms is zero.
 32. The system of claim 18, wherein the opening in the wall is configured to minimize the leakage of light from one room to the other.
 33. The system of claim 18, wherein the opening in the wall is configured to minimize the transmission of sound from one room to the other.
 34. The system of claim 18, further comprising an opening between inside and outside of the building with one or more fan units installed that can move air between the inside and outside of the building to regulate the temperature of a room.
 35. A kit for minimizing energy consumption to achieve temperature control within a building comprising: one or more fan units fitted with motors operable using a communication device and installable in an opening in the wall between rooms of a building; one or more temperature or humidity sensors affixed with communication devices; and a non-transitory machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: provide a user interface to receive user inputs relating to set temperature or humidity; receive temperature or humidity data from the one or more temperature or humidity sensors; and send switching instructions to the one or more fan units to control their operation in response to the set temperature and the sensed temperature or humidity data to eliminate hot or cold spots within the rooms by circulating air from one room to another.
 36. The kit of claim 35, wherein the sequence of instructions is executable in a computing device such as a wearable computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a smart phone or a tablet. 